74 Rhodora [April 



A FEW PLANTS OF THE BLUE HILLS RESERVATION. 



Arthur Clark. 



The Metropolitan Park Commissioners have published a Flora 

 prepared under the direction of Mr. Walter Deane, in which most of 

 the species noticed below are mentioned. Personal observations on 

 the occurrence of these plants may, however, be of interest. Several 

 additions to this list will also be made. 1 



Liparis lUiifolia is found growing upon a clayey plateau at an ele- 

 vation of about 400 feet, accompanied by Anemone virginiana and 

 Asclepias quadrifolia, while a little farther on are large plants of 

 Geranium roberiianum with innumerable seedlings. 



Pogonia verti ci llata is represented by three large patches, one of 

 which is at the very top of a high hill, near the edge of a water hole. 



I have thus far discovered in the Reservation only four species of 

 Habenaria ; namely, H. tridentata in a maple swamp, H. lacera bor- 

 dering the edge of a pond, H. psyeodes in three different places, and 

 H. blephariglottis in a dry neglected cranberry meadow. 



While tracing a brook one day I found Corallorhiza innata grow- 

 ing upon hummocks of Sphagnum under low alders, birches, and 

 pines. There were about forty plants some of which were not more 

 than two inches high. 



J\dygala polygama is quite common and grows along the park 

 roads in the dry sand, exposed to the full rays of the burning sun. 

 Very often the cleistogamous Mowers rest upon the top of the ground 

 and are plainly visible. /'. paucifolia is found in rich springy woods 

 surrounded by ferns and several species of Lycopodium. Vcratrum 

 viride was also found in these woods, as well as Clintonia borealis 

 and Cornus canadensis. 



Calla palustris, in a muddy swamp and shaded by a sharp hill, 

 reaches a very unusual size. 



Half way up Great Blue Hill under red cedars are several shrubs 

 of Ligustrum vulgare. This is quite remarkable, so far away from 



1 When this territory was first taken as a reservation a special permit was nec- 

 essary before one could botanize here. At the present time, however, one is allowed 

 to collect flowers and fruits of specimens, but in order to obtain roots the permit 

 is still necessary. It might be well to state, also, that the Park Commissioners 

 have issued maps of the roads, foot-paths, brooks, etc., of the Reservation, which 

 are of great assistance to those desiring to botanize in this vicinity. 



